(From Chester Davis general chairman of the Tobacco Bowl, 1961.)
“Acclaimed by sportswriters and football fans as one of the most astounding successes in high school post season games, the Tobacco Bowl has developed into one of the greatest attractions in the state. All games have been given the widest publicity through the press, radio, and television.
The largest network of radio stations ever to carry a post season high school grid classic east of the Rocky Mountains, is carrying today’s game with Jud Collins and Larry Munson at the microphone.”
And so, it was. From 1954 until 1985 when a state playoff system came to be, the Hartsville Tobacco Bowl reigned supreme. Rivaled only in post season play by Nashville’s Clinic Bowl, the Tobacco Bowl was a classic. Each year it featured two of Middle Tennessee’s powerhouse football programs. Tennessee’s governor arrived by helicopter. U.S. Senators came. Elected official from far and wide made it a point to be there.
And each year the Tennessee A & I band provided the half-time entertainment. I am told it was a sight to see as the band marched down the hill from Historic Ward School. And the half-time show was second to none. When I attended the Tobacco Bowl in 1970 the band was delivered by motor coach and disembarked just outside the stadium. To see the band members coming off the buses as they marched in ¼ time was a scene I shall never forget.
This year, as a special tribute to Tobacco Bowls of the past, the Grammy Award winning Tennessee State University Aristocrats of Bands will once again return to the Creek Bank as the Trousdale County Yellow Jackets take on the Smith County Owls on Friday night, September 26.
Legendary high school coaches, Jim B. Satterfield and Turney Ford showcased their squads in seven Tobacco Bowls - Trousdale County in 1965, 1970, and 1984; and Smith County in 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, respectively.
The attached graphic lists the teams which played in the Tobacco Bowl over the years and how they fared.
If you were a player, cheerleader, or if you were in the crowd at a Tobacco Bowl, you are cordially invited to take a walk down memory lane and join us for an evening of football nostalgia as the Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands takes the field at halftime on Friday, September 26.
Come see us in Hartsville!
For ticket information, visit: https://gofan.co/event/3957792
Copyright 2025 by Jack McCall
